VW "Up"

I am thinking of buying a new car, the ash tray is full on my present one.

Seriously I am looking at the new model VW Up which comes on the market here sometime in March. I've looked through the specifications and read all the guff about it and it seems to be a nice little car. Apart from included items like heated seats and passenger air bag switches, luxuries such as cruise control and parking sensors can be added pretty cheaply. But one thing that puzzles me about it is that you have to spend extra to have a spare wheel.

Is this a modern trend? Are they adding luxury items but taking away necessities? Do other car producers do this too?

I had better have another look to see if it has an ash tray! I need somewhere to put my sweet wrappers.

Personally I'd quibble about calling cruise control a luxury. If used properly it's incredibly useful, and can end up saving you a lot of money in fuel over the years. Especially as these days its just a few cheap switches, some wiring and (ecu) software.

As for the spare wheel, I suppose it's ok not to have one for local running about, but there's no way I would travel more than 100 miles from home without one, and to heck with the fuel penalties for dragging a heavy lump of one around.

But while I'm at it, to all forum users with cars :- when was the last time you pulled your spare out and looked at it? Does it still have air in it? Are you sure? I check mine once a month. It lives in a well inside the car (hate the ones underneath) and the valve is easy to get to. But a flat spare is worse than useless.

The manufacturers know that no spare isn't the problem that a lot of us would see it as. Compared to 20 years ago even blokes now ring the breakdown services for a flat tyre as they have no more idea than the stereotyped hopeless woman drivers of 20 years ago.